His Crime

Chapter Sixteen

Erick guides me to his car, opening the passenger door before closing it behind me. Once he settles into his seat, he starts the engine and begins the journey home. "Don't think of me as your enemy," he says into the silence, breaking the tension and my processing of what just happened.

"What should I think of you then?" I retort, turning my view onto him.

Glancing back at me, he replies, "Think whatever you want, but I am not your enemy."

Chuckling, I ask, "What do you want, Erick?"

"I just wanted Justin to know what you've been up to. That's all. I couldn't sit back and let your relationship go back to how it was without him knowing about you and Nick."

Humming of the car remains the only noise, as his attention focuses back onto the road. "Did you know Nick?" I ask curiously, desperate for someone to understand my thought process of when Nick and I's relationship began.

"Not when Justin and him were friends, no. But I've seen them together countlessly to know that no one hates each other more than they do. What happened between them is still alive, and I don't think anything can change that and put their anger with each other to rest," he explains, the loud ticking from the signal slithering it's way into the background. Coming off the motorway, he continues, "I would have hoped Justin's reaction from the last time he saw you together would've showed the impact they cause to each other."

"I didn't think it was possible for Justin to even come home, let alone the possibility of him finding out. He didn't want me speaking to him when he was in prison, remember?"

"And that makes it better?" he questions.

"No, it doesn't. But not hearing or seeing him made me believe that he was no longer in my life or ever was. Seeing Nick for the first time reminded me of moments with Justin, reminding me that Justin and I's relationship was real and not imagined. So Nick just became a reminder in my life of Justin, and that's what I desperately wanted: Justin."

Silently, he ponders my words, continuing the drive home in silence. As we progress to the road that shares our house, he parks on the driveway and switches the engine off. "Was you ever going to tell him?" he asks into the darkness, breaking the quietness.

"No, I don't think so. I was hoping that if I ignored it the issue would go away," I answer.

"For his sake, I hope Justin does, too. He's going to torture himself over this."

"Do you think he'll forgive me?" I ask hopelessly, the same question that left my quivering lips earlier. The words swim around in the darkness outside the car, "I can't see you right now." With Justin's voice ringing in my ears, I shift my attention back to Erick.

"Justin's crazy about you, Selena," he reveals. "For you, I think so. Not without taking action first; he won't sit still with this on his mind. He will want to see Nick, so don't think anyone's getting out of this unscathed."

"I didn't think so," I admit, fear crawling heavily up my spine, creating horrid visions and erupting my mind.

"Did Anna know this whole time? About you and Nick?"

"Yes. Not straight away, but she knew," I answer.

With no response, Erick exits the car and shuts the door behind him. Once I copy, he locks the car before proceeding inside our shared home, where the lights are on and Anna's awake. Approaching us, she asks anxiously, "Is everything OK?"

"Give it a break," Erick sneers, avoiding her stare and walking around her, heading straight past the stairs and into the living room. With Anna's concerned stance, she follows closely behind me as I shut the door to the house and step towards the stairs, wanting nothing but quietness.